Love Me Less
by the lola
Summary: "And she hates herself for thinking it, but she's dying, so what's the point in censoring her own thoughts now?" Daphne's end is near, and all that she can think of is Blaise.


**Word Count:** 1,231

**Challenge/Competition: **Fanfiction Tournament

**Prompts:** "...And I've always wanted to say, but never said: 'Love me less.'"

**Warnings:** Character death

**Disclaimer:** I don't claim to own Harry Potter, it's all JKR's.

**Note: **I'm sorry for the missing line breaks, it seems to be a bug, but you can see where they are supposed to be.

* * *

Lying against the cold marble floor, the iciness begins to seep through her skin, to her muscles, to her bones, to her veins, to her heart, her soul… it's not just the cold from the floor any more, it's the desolation of the situation: there's nothing she can do.

Everything he did – everything they went through, for nothing. They didn't stick to their word; they're letting her die right now. She can feel herself fading, flowing and ebbing towards the darkness, towards her end. And a fleeting moment of peace overcomes her because finally, the fight is over.

But still, it doesn't stop the memories from floating their way to the top of her mind – the hope, the fights, the love, the denial, the guilt, the fun, everything. Everything that's ever mattered to her, all revolves around _him_, Blaise.

* * *

"_I can feel you following me, Blaise. Why don't you just say hi?" _

"_I'm just trying… to figure you out." _

_And small smiles are shared, signifying the true beginning. _

* * *

_Without even considering it, the words slip out her mouth. "I love you." _

_His face turns from worried, to confused, to happy. "I love you too, Daphne." _

_Nothing feels more right. _

* * *

"_So are you and Blaise together, or what?"_

_She frowns, not quite understanding why Pansy Parkinson of all people is actually talking to her. Not only that, but she does not know the answer to Pansy's question – she's never really considered it, just gone with things. "I suppose so." _

* * *

_Blaise tries to keep his emotions under control, but he's about to fly off the handle any second and Daphne can't help it but be frightened._

"_Well, what are we? I need an answer Daphne, a straight one!" _

"_We're me and we're you… we love each other," she says softly, flinching at his angry tone._

* * *

"_You know a war is brewing, and you're both required to pick a side." The newly recruited Draco Malfoy states matter-of-factly, as they sit on their spot on the roof. _

_Daphne casts her gaze to the floor, mumbling, "Well it's hardly picking a side when it's already been chosen for us." _

"_They want you, Blaise." Draco ignores her comment. _

"_I won't do it," Blaise grinds out. _

"_I need a word with you, in private." Draco looks to Daphne, giving her cue to exit._

* * *

"_Why are you so friendly with Draco?" Blaise frowns._

"_He needs a friend, Blaise." _

* * *

_Before she sees him, she feels him. _

"_I'm happy to live in the shades of grey, Blaise," she says wearily. _

"_It's not an option for me." _

_Looking up to him, she narrows her eyes nervously. "Why?" _

"_They – they'll kill you… if I don't – if I don't join them…" he trails off, not quite able to look her in the eye._

* * *

_His hand slips into hers, and they fit just perfectly. _

"_You're beautiful," He whispers into her ear, as they walk along the corridor._

* * *

"_They're threatening Blaise because they know she's weak – they know she doesn't stand a chance." A gossipy Slytherin whispers to her boyfriend, late one night in the common room. _

"_Daphne's a total nutcase," The boy says._

_The girl clicks her tongue disapprovingly. "She's fragile, don't be mean." _

_And Daphne's heart sinks to her feet, because the sudden reality hits her: it's all her fault. _

* * *

"_I won't let you do it. I'll kill myself." _

"_Don't be ridiculous, Daph. It's my decision, not yours." _

"_But it shouldn't be like this! It's my entire fault!" _

* * *

_His eyes are filled with sadness, as he cups her face in his hands. "I need you not to talk to me, for a few days." _

"_Why?" Her eyes widen… she can't live without him. _

"_Just please, Daph." _

* * *

_Lying against the cold roof, she counts in her head the days she's gone without him… one, three, five, seven. _

_Again, she feels his presence before he makes himself known. _

_His eyes tell her everything she needs to know – his decision is made._

* * *

"_They gave me their word that they would keep you safe." _

"_I don't need to be kept safe! I need you, __**alive**__!" _

"_Were you seriously expecting me to let them kill you?" _

"_I thought you would understand what it would do to you!" _

* * *

_She sits upon the roof, again, alone, without him. _

_It's not something she can do, anymore – she can't sit back and watch while his life falls apart, all thanks to her weakness. _

_Everything that has happened with Blaise, is all her fault. She is __**weak **__Daphne, __**messed up **__Daphne, __**daddy issues **__Daphne. They see it and they hear it and she proved that she was everything they thought she was. And now, Blaise is paying for it._

* * *

"_I'm doing this for you, as long as I have you-" _

"_-But don't you see?_ _They will pull us apart just as if I __were __dead! It would have been better if you had just let them kill me! Don't you see how selfish it was of you? Now I'm going to have to go through heartbreak and my life being pulled from under my feet over and over and over and over again – we're going to fall, __I'm __going to fall, and eventually, you won't be able to catch me when I do."_

_"You think I'm weak," he grinds out, "You think I'm selfish? I don't understand __how __you could possibly think doing __this__-" He pauses to pull his sleeve back and reveal the ugly black skull tattoo hiding underneath it, "-to save your __life__, is selfish? Daphne, we will not fall - we cannot break! I'm Blaise, you're Daphne… we're us and we're strong."_

_She shakes her head sadly, "No Blaise, we're not strong – we're fragile and it could take the slightest thing to push us apart."_

* * *

"_I love you, I've always loved you," he sobs into her shoulder, finally letting the weakness overcome him._

"_I love you too, I will always love you." She kisses his forehead, sighing._

* * *

_Cinnamon eyes lock on cerulean, across the grand room. Apologies, what ifs, gratitude and love mix between them as their vision gradually becomes covered with the flashing lights of the unforgivable curses._

_He tried to save her, but not everyone can be saved – she knows this, this was always her fate. _

* * *

And she hates herself for thinking it, but she's dying, so what's the point in censoring her own thoughts now? If he could have just loved her less… all of this pain could be avoided – her death could have been a lot less painful. They wouldn't be a part of this bloodbath, she wouldn't have ruined his life, and they wouldn't be forced to part like this.

"After this war, I'm going to marry you. You're going to pick out a beautiful dress and have whoever you want there, wherever you want. We're going to live together in a beautiful little cottage in the middle of nowhere, and we're going to be happy. Just don't die okay? Not when we have so much to live for," Blaise sobs over her limp body, and it's the last thing she hears as she fades into oblivion – it's a happy thought, a happy dream for her to be lost in until he can join her in her peace.

* * *

**AN - **I don't really know where this came from, honestly, but the inspiration hit and I kind of love how this turned out, even if it did make me slightly teary near the end... But I hope you guys like this, and please review! But don't favourite without a review, pretty please. Much love!


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